2) Departmental Strategic Thinking

In close coordination with the Town Manager, each Enfield department developed their strategic thinking and five-year plans by completing 10 activities over a five-month period:

  • A defined work plan and timeline.
  • Historical dashboards showing trends in service demand, spending, staffing, and key efforts for each department.
  • An environmental scan to anticipate key factors from within Enfield and from beyond (federal and state regulations, professional regulations, etc.) that might impact the department.
  • A SWOT analysis of external opportunities and threats along with departmental strengths and weaknesses that should be managed.
  • Key performance measures for each department.
  • A vision of what the department should achieve over a specified time period.
  • Strategic initiatives needed to fulfill that vision.
  • A vision dashboard reflecting all future citizen-focused outcomes.
  • Strategic plans with associated budgets for those years.
  • A strategic plan presentation.

Each plays a role in ensuring that the past remains a reference point for the future, and that current-day activities serve what a community wants for its future.

Understand the Past, Envision the Future, Manage the Present

So far, seven of eight department plans have been proposed (the Economic/Community Development plan is still in process).  Municipal officials realize that the total requested dollars will exceed Enfield’s financial resources. So, setting priorities through dialogue with residents will be an important activity in the weeks and months ahead.

To see detailed department strategic plans, click here. 

Click HERE to return to  main page of Strategic Governance in Enfield.